


Discussing Vegetarianism

by Bluewolf458



Category: The Sentinel (TV)
Genre: Gen, Sentinel Thursday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 17:07:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20177782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluewolf458/pseuds/Bluewolf458
Summary: Jim arrives home to find Naomi making a stir fry





	Discussing Vegetarianism

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Sentinel Thursday prompt 'contradiction'

Discussing Vegetarianism

by Bluewolf

"Is that tofu?" Jim asked as he walked into the kitchen area.

"You'll like it," Naomi said confidently as she looked up from the meal she was stir-frying.

"Actually, I know I will," Jim admitted. "Blair's fed me tofu a few times - heck, he made a tofu dish for our last poker night, and after everyone had complimented him on it, he told them it was made with tofu, not meat... Everyone teased him about it, but they couldn't deny how much they'd enjoyed it! "

Naomi smiled. "And if you can't tell the difference between meat-flavored tofu and the real thing - who could?"

"Though... isn't that something of a contradiction in terms?" Jim asked. "If you're a vegetarian, why would you want to eat something that tasted of meat?"

"Depends on why you're a vegetarian," Naomi said.

Jim waited in silence.

"Buddhists believe in reincarnation - but you could be reborn as an animal. So by eating animal flesh, that's a... well, sort of cannibalism."

"Yet some tribes go in for ritual cannibalism," Jim said. "Some of the Amazon tribes believe that our custom of burial isn't showing proper respect for the dead. They cremate their dead, crush any bones that haven't burned to ash to a powder, then make soup out of the crushed bone and ash - because they believe that's showing respect for their dead, absorbing them into their bodies, giving them somewhere warm to rest rather than the cold ground. I saw that a few times when I was in Peru, though as an outsider not actually related to any of the tribe I was never included in the ceremony. They were quite apologetic about what they thought I might see as a slight, and grateful that I understood that only relatives could participate."

Naomi's jaw had dropped in amazement. "That's... "

"Weird by our standards, but part of their way of life. But go on with what you were saying."

"Oh - yes. Some people are vegetarian because they don't like, or are allergic to, meat. It's not exactly forced on them but a choice they make because it's like anything else - you don't like something, you avoid it, you're allergic so it makes sense to avoid it.

"But a lot of people are vegetarian on ethical grounds. They could have been brought up eating meat, enjoying it - and then they discovered where that meat came from. The conditions a lot of food animals are kept in on farms, even ones that claim to treat their animals well. They realize that animals are being exploited so that they can eat meat. So they stop eating meat or using animal products like leather or wool - "

"Naomi, sheep need to be shorn once a year - some do moult, but if they don't, and they're not shorn, their wool just carries on growing and growing and they end up carrying a ludicrous weight of wool - when we're camping we sometimes see sheep that have strayed into the forest and the amount of wool they're carrying is very difficult for them. Shearing sheep isn't exploiting them, it's being kind to them; and using the wool is just making use of a resource that would otherwise be wasted."

"I do understand that," Naomi admitted. "But an animal has to be killed to provide leather."

"Though if it's being killed for food, using the skin is just another resource," Jim said.

"But if you don't need to kill it for food, killing it just for its skin is worse, and that's how vegans think," Naomi replied. She sighed. "I have to admit I pretend, when I visit a commune, that it's on ethical grounds, but actually I'm a vegetarian because of an allergy. That's why I never brought Blair up to be vegetarian, once I'd established he didn't have that same allergy. And meat-flavored tofu satisfies my need for food that tastes of meat. So for me it isn't a contradiction; it's just making the best of a diffcult situation."

"Does Blair know you have an allergy?" Jim asked.

"Yes, but years ago I also explained to him why I don't tell anyone that and let them think it's my choice not to eat meat. But he's happy enough with tofu at least some of the time - he's serious about limiting the amount of red meat he eats. Perhaps fortunately he likes fish and shellfish so he often chooses them instead of meat."

"I've noticed," Jim said. He glanced towards the door. "He's home. That's one good thing about him being at the Academy - he's hardly ever late home. When he was still at Rainier he was rarely less than a couple of hours late."

Blair bounced in. "Hi, Jim - Naomi!" he sniffed. "What's for dinner?"

"A tofu stir fry," Naomi said, "And Jim has assured me that he'll like it."

"You've given me tofu often enough," Jim said. "This isn't one of your recipes, but I'm sure Naomi's cooking is as good as yours."

Blair laughed. "Compared to Naomi, I'm a total beginner, and once you've tasted her stir fry you won't think of contradicting that."


End file.
